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Standing up straight could treat depression

Good posture could help treat depression, a new study claims.

Previous research has showed that slouching can crush one's mood, and sitting straight does the opposite. But an upcoming paper by the University of Auckland is the first to examine whether something as simple as posture could work for people clinically diagnosed with moderate depression.

'Compared to sitting in a slumped position, sitting upright can make you feel more proud after a success, increase your persistence at an unsolvable task, and make you feel more confident in your thoughts,' lead researcher Dr Elizabeth Broadbent explains. 'Research also suggests that sitting upright can make you feel more alert and enthusiastic, feel less fearful, and have higher self-esteem after a stressful task.'